Helleborus plant named ‘COSEH 950’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Helleborus  plant named ‘COSEH 950’, characterized by its upright and uniformly mounded plant habit; uniform and freely flowering habit; dark green-colored leaves; long flowering period; single light greyed purple to light yellow green-colored flowers with dark greyed purple-colored margins; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Helleborus niger×Helleborus atrorubens.

Cultivar denomination: ‘COSEH 950’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Helleborus plant, botanically known as Helleborus niger×Helleborus atrorubens, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘COSEH 950’.

The new Helleborus plant is a product of a planned breeding program in Glandorf, Germany. The objective of the breeding program was to create new uniform Helleborus plants with unique and attractive plant habit, leaf and flower coloration and resistance to pests.

The new Helleborus plant originated from a cross-pollination conducted by the Inventor in Glandorf, Germany in December, 2005 of an unnamed proprietary seedling selection of Helleborus niger, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unnamed proprietary seedling selection of Helleborus atrorubens, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Helleborus plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination grown in a controlled greenhouse environment in Glandorf, Germany in January, 2008.

Asexual reproduction of the new Helleborus plant by divisions in a controlled greenhouse environment in Glandorf, Germany since March, 2008 has shown that the unique features of this new Helleborus plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Helleborus have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘COSEH 950’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘COSEH 950’ as a new and distinct Helleborus plant:

-   -   1. Upright and uniformly mounded plant habit.     -   2. Uniform and freely flowering habit.     -   3. Dark green-colored leaves.     -   4. Long flowering period.     -   5. Single light greyed purple to light yellow green-colored         flowers with dark greyed purple-colored margins.     -   6. Good garden performance.

Compared to plants of the parent selections, plants of the new Helleborus are more uniformly mounded and are more freely flowering.

Plants of the new Helleborus can be compared to plants of Helleborus niger×Helleborus atrorubens ‘COSEH 710’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,063. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Glandorf, Germany, plants of the new Helleborus differed from plants of ‘COSEH 710’ in leaf and flower color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Helleborus plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Helleborus plant.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘COSEH 950’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical flower of ‘COSEH 950’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the winter in 17-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse in Glandorf, Germany and under environmental conditions and cultural practices which closely approximate commercial Helleborus production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 12° C. to 32° C. and night temperatures ranged from 3° C. to 18° C. Plants were 14 months old when the photographs and the description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Helleborus niger×Helleborus atrorubens     ‘COSEH 950’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed proprietary seedling             selection of Helleborus niger, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unnamed proprietary seedling             selection of Helleborus atrorubens, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By tissue culture.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About two months at 12° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About six             months at 4° C. to 15° C.         -   Root description.—Thick to thin, fleshy; white to brown in             color.         -   Rooting habit.—Sparse. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Herbaceous perennial; upright             and uniformly mounding plant habit with flowers held just             above the foliar plane; plant shape is globular; moderately             vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 27.5 cm.         -   Plant diameter (area of spread).—About 33.6 cm. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Leaves arranged in a basal rosette; leaves             palmately compound with about seven leaflets per leaf.         -   Leaf length.—About 15.4 cm.         -   Leaf width.—About 22 cm.         -   Leaflet length.—About 10.1 cm.         -   Leaflet width.—About 4.2 cm.         -   Leaf shape.—Palmate; orbicular in outline.         -   Leaflet shape.—Elliptic to ovate and obovate.         -   Leaflet apex.—Broadly acute.         -   Leaflet base.—Cuneate.         -   Leaflet margin.—Sharply serrate; slightly undulate.         -   Leaflet texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous;             leathery.         -   Leaflet venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Leaflet color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to             137B. Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 138A. Fully             developed leaves, upper surface: Between N137C and 147A;             venation, close to 144A to 144B. Fully developed leaves,             lower surface: Close to 147B; venation, close to 144B.         -   Petiole.—Length: About 5.8 cm. Diameter: About 6 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,             upper and lower surfaces: Close to 138A. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower shape and habit.—Single rotate flowers arranged in             terminal and axillary cymes; freely and uniform flowering             habit with about 24 flowers and flower buds developing per             plant; flowers facing outwardly to nodding.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants begin flowering about ten             months after planting; long flowering period, plants flower             from late winter to early spring in Germany.         -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About ten days; flowers not             persistent.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 2 cm. Diameter: About 1.2 cm.             Shape: Ovate. Color: Close to 145B; upper surface heavily             tinged with close to 182B.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 8.9 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 10.4 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 5.3 cm.         -   Flower depth (height).—About 2.3 cm.         -   Petals.—Transformed into nectaries.         -   Sepals.—Quantity and arrangement: Five arranged in a single             whorl. Length: About 3.3 cm. Width: About 2.4 cm. Shape:             Elliptic to ovate. Apex: Bluntly broad acute to rounded.             Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: When opening, upper             surface: Close to 145B; margins tinged with close to 187D.             When opening, lower surface: Close to 145B tinged with close             to 182C; margins tinged with close to 187D. Fully opened,             upper and lower surfaces: Close to 186C; center and base,             close to 145B to 145C; margins, close to 187D. With             development, color becoming closer to 147B to 147C; lower             surface tinged with close to 197A.         -   Peduncles.—Strength: Moderately strong. Length: About             17.5 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm. Aspect: About 30° from             vertical. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 144B             moderately dotted with close to 181A to 181B.         -   Pedicels.—Strength: Moderately strong. Length: About 2.6 cm.             Diameter: About 2 mm. Aspect: Erect to about 25° from the             peduncle axis. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to             144B to 144C slightly dotted with close to 181B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: About 75.             Filament length: About 1.4 cm. Filament color: Close to             155C. Anther shape: Reniform. Anther length: About 1.5 mm.             Anther color: Close to 150D. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen             color: Close to 4D. Pistils: Quantity per flower: About             eight. Pistil length: About 1 cm. Stigma shape: Club-shaped.             Stigma color: Close to 150D. Style length: About 9 mm. Style             color: Close to 145C. Ovary color: Close to 145B. Nectaries             (transformed petals): Quantity per flower: About nine.             Length: About 7 mm. Diameter: About 2.5 mm. Shape: Narrow             triangular, flattened tubular. Color: Close to 145B; towards             the apex, close to 151C.         -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit development have not been             observed on plants of the new Helleborus. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Helleborus have been observed     to have good garden performance and to tolerate rain and wind;     plants of the new Helleborus have been observed to tolerate high     temperatures of about 35° C. and are hardy to USDA Hardiness Zone 5. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Helleborus have not     been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Helleborus plants. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Helleborus plant named ‘COSEH 950’ as illustrated and described. 